Subject: Re: __NetBSD_Version__ and stable branches
To: Greg Troxel <gdt@ir.bbn.com>
From: Quentin Garnier <cube@cubidou.net>
List: tech-kern
Date: 11/11/2006 15:51:47
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On Sat, Nov 11, 2006 at 09:22:13AM -0500, Greg Troxel wrote:
>   I propose to decouple those two and make __NetBSD_Version__ only an
>   indicator of the kernel ABI, completely independent of the version
>   reported by "uname -r".
>=20
> I think this could be confusing.  Your problem is caused, in my view,
> not by the __NetBSD_Version__ value being wrong -- your system did
> indeed change from 3.0 to 3.1, but by the lkm machinery interpreting
> system version number as a kernel ABI version.
>=20
> So, perhaps we should introduce __NetBSD_KABI_Version__ and leave it
> at 300000000 on netbsd-3, and keep changing it as we do for current.
>=20
> I realize my comments can be viewed as nitpicking over name choices.
> Your proposal of keeping the variable as-is for current and not
> changing it along the stable branch (where KABI changes are
> prohibited) seems very reasonable.

Note that sometimes, __NetBSD_Version__ is used for API versioning,
too.  I'd like to see a __NetBSD_KAPI_Version__ also, one that would
be maintained.

--=20
Quentin Garnier - cube@cubidou.net - cube@NetBSD.org
"You could have made it, spitting out benchmarks
Owe it to yourself not to fail"
Amplifico, Spitting Out Benchmarks, Hometakes Vol. 2, 2005.

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